Houseboat & River Weekend on the Upper Murray
Three slow days on the water between Renmark, Paringa and the Murtho cliffs.
The plan
The upper Murray around Renmark and Paringa is the Riverland at its most cinematic — towering limestone cliffs, the wild Chowilla floodplain and quiet reaches perfect for a self-drive houseboat. No licence is needed, and the river sets the pace.
Pick up your boat near Paringa, provision in Renmark, then point the bow upstream. Spend your days drifting between cliff-lined bends, dropping a line for callop, and your nights moored against a red-gum bank under a sky thick with stars. Break up the cruising with a paddle steamer cruise and a counter meal at one of the river's grand old pubs.
This is a holiday measured in sunsets, not kilometres. Take it slow.
Day 1
3 stops-
1
Pike River Luxury Houseboats
ParingaCollect your houseboat and run through the controls — your floating home for the weekend.
See place → -
2
Renmark Riverfront
RenmarkProvision in town and stretch your legs along the Renmark foreshore before casting off.
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3
Renmark Paddle Steamer PS Industry
RenmarkIf the schedule lines up, ride the 1911 PS Industry for a taste of the steam era.
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Day 2
2 stops-
1
Headings Cliffs Lookout
ParingaCruise up to the Murtho cliffs and moor beneath the ochre walls for sunset.
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2
Chowilla Game Reserve
RenmarkNose into the Chowilla floodplain backwaters — red gums, lagoons and big-sky wilderness.
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Day 3
1 stop-
1
Renmark Hotel
RenmarkWind down with a counter meal at the community-owned Renmark Hotel overlooking the river.
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On the map
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Image credits
- Houseboat passing by on Murray River-2 (14987013793).jpg by Sheba_Also 43,000 photos , CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons